About Me

By training, I'm an attorney with an interest in constitutional law, immigration law and international law. My hobbies include sewing (I'm a seamstress and can usually be found sewing costumes for myself or my friends.), genealogy research (I love researching my family and can do it for hours online.), reading (usually trash but recently some non fiction legal books). And I'm a Christian, well my own version of one.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Suicide Squad Harley Quinn.for Ohayocon - The corset is done. The shorts are almost done, just need to do the waistband. I need to order the socks, buy the temp color for my hair and make the neck ruff and gauntlets.

Suspenders for my femme Joker - I realized I have purple elastic and I finally bought suspender clips. Supplies in hand, just need to make the suspenders!

Now for my other unfinished projects...

Keeper of the Keys underbust corset

Embroidered quilt.

Quilt and pillowcases for Soldiers Angels.

2013 Costuming Goals:

1884 Wash Overskirt.

Sari inspired head to toe Victorian ensemble.

Natural form Victorian costume.

18th century costume.

French Huguenot costume.

A Victorian bathing suit.

At some point, I really need to make a Snow Queen costume...

Something Regency. Maybe a dress and a spencer...

A lobster tail bustle

2013 sewing goals:

More retro dresses

Finish my concert t shirt throw.

Quilt for my cousin's little girl that's due in April

If I end up going to Warped Tour, I need some more bikini tops to wear...

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

I've been contemplating making a new hat for my new silver and black steampunk suit (I need to think of a name for it...) so last night I sat down with some cardboard, buckram and other supplies to start working on building a hat frame.

I realize now that pictures would have been helpful...

Step one was to use my seam gauge and a marker to draw a circle that was about 11 inches in circumference onto some cardboard. Which I cut out and tried on to make sure I liked the size. Happy with it, the next step was to cut out the center, giving myself the pattern for a brim and a crown. Step three was to cut a strip of buckram about two inches wide for the side band, then to trace and cut out the brim and crown.

Then came the fun part - sewing together these pieces. I tried glue at first but it didn't want to hold so I just started stitching. The brim was clipped so it would attach to the side band better and I ran into some issues with the crown (it ended up being too big for the side band which I didn't realize until too late) but I think it went together well enough. I reinforced the brim with some heavy interfacing, but only in part because I plan to flip the back of the hat up. I also cut a circle of the same interfacing to reinforce the crown but it hasn't been stitched together yet.

Then I tried the hat on. I'm not entirely happy with the size of the brim, I think its a little large. My current plan is to do some research and then if necessary trim down the brim and re-stitch the interfacing and buckram together before starting the covering and decorating stage.

Petticoat of Doom to be worn under the Roma inspired steampunk crazy quilt skirt. (April)

Decorated a clip on pouch to wear with the Roma inspired steampunk costume. (April)

Mask for the SES masquerade (that I never wore) (April)

Muppets fleece blanket for Nick Wheeler of the All American Rejects (he loved it, btw) (April)

Playsuit. Stash fabric, purchased pattern.(Finished 6/5/2012)

Paris 1880s steampunk bodice. (Finished around 7/5/2012)

Shorts for the summer - red knit, pink and black knit and black gauze.
All purchased fabrics, one purchased pattern, the other was a stash
pattern, stash thread and I don't remember if I bought or had the
elastic already.

Green and white sundress. Stash fabric and pattern. (Finished around 7/5/2012) and made a petticoat (Finished before 8/2/2012)

Wings for airship stewardess. Not really a sewing project, but considering they complete the costume I'm counting it! (Finished by 11/13/2012)

New steampunk outfit of silver satin trimmed in silver and black plaid. Pretty much all from the stash, I think all I bought were D rings and black elastic cord for lacing. (Bodice finished by 12/1/2012, skirt finished 12/15/2012)

Embroidered quilt: Still working on block #11. *cue sigh* I don't think it's going to be done before I go home for the holidays.

Keeper of the Keys corset: Still pinned and not put together

Suspenders for my femme Joker. - Still not done.

Suicide Squad Harley Quinn hasn't been worked on either.... I don't know if I'll be able to get this done on time, not because of the costume construction but because the company I get my tights etc from is out of what I need.

New bodice for my black and silver steampunk is DONE

And I decided that I needed a new skirt to match ... Also DONE. Had a sewing day at my friends' house and pretty much pounded this out. It has a silver plaid waistband and bias hem. I couldn't find my horsehair braid so it has around a 4 inch wide hem facing of the same red taffeta I used to line the bodice. And some decorative stitching, courtesy of my friends fancy sewing machine.

New Tour Wear leggings: DONE

Now I really want a hat to go with my new steampunk...

And it's a Build Day tomorrow! I plan to work on: embroidery, maybe hat construction, maybe scrapbooking. Pretty much anything that doesn't need a sewing machine because I want to be upstairs with my friends and not buried in the sewing room (basement).

On the scrapbooking topic -- I just printed the last three shows of AAR pictures. Time to start volume 2 of my scrapbook! It was decided that volume 1 was big enough already lol

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Embroidered quilt: Still working on block #11. I've hit that point of not really wanting to work on it anymore...

Keeper of the Keys corset: The boning is done and it's pinned for the next step of construction.

Suspenders for my femme Joker. - Still not done.

Suicide Squad Harley Quinn hasn't been worked on either....

New bodice for my black and silver steampunk is DONE

And I decided that I needed a new skirt to match ... That's been cut out. Should be pretty easy (I hope) construction-wise. I just really love the idea of a 'suit', with the silvery grey satin head to toe...

Soldiers Angels pillowcases and blankets still need worked on.

New Tour Wear leggings: Bought the velvet, cut out the leggings and started putting them together. Next step is taking them in to fit perfectly.

I'm having a sewing day over at a friend's house today while the majority of Archon members are attending a gathering on the moon (aka Teslacon). I've got my embroidery, the new corset, spandex for the arm bracers for SSHQ, the new skirt, and the leggings all packed. First on the list is finishing the leggings since I leave for DC in a week!